Life has been odd lately. I wrote last Thursday on just how busy things have been & the truth is they haven't slowed down at all. I actually appreciate the busyness because I believe all movement in life is good movement. I know others will disagree with that thought but it's ok, I've just learned in my life that all movement, even negative movement, leads to new things. I love the discovery of new things & I believe strongly in change. I think we all need to embrace change as it will happen with or without us. I told Heidi the other day that to me, right now, I feel like I'm in a snow-globe & every time I think things have settled down someone shakes the globe again & mixes everything up.
In this blog I share what I have learned in my life to be a more positive/joyful person living each day to the fullest & staying connected to my soul.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Shall we dance?
Life has been odd lately. I wrote last Thursday on just how busy things have been & the truth is they haven't slowed down at all. I actually appreciate the busyness because I believe all movement in life is good movement. I know others will disagree with that thought but it's ok, I've just learned in my life that all movement, even negative movement, leads to new things. I love the discovery of new things & I believe strongly in change. I think we all need to embrace change as it will happen with or without us. I told Heidi the other day that to me, right now, I feel like I'm in a snow-globe & every time I think things have settled down someone shakes the globe again & mixes everything up.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
When life gets busy
Wow, it's been busy. I use to have a very busy life. During tax season I've put in as many as 80-90 hours a week but since I've been off for a year now life has slowed down. Overall I'm very happy for that. I've learned to really enjoy my time but the last couple of weeks have been crazy busy! I have no complaints I've been doing a lot of good things & I've been enjoying my daughters visit but it dawned on me that when life gets busy it's harder to stay focused in the current moment.
I've written many times about how life is about living in the now & enjoying every moment of everyday. I've learned to do this almost automatically. Just enjoying where I'm at & what I'm doing without worry about what's next. Even when I've had things planned I never worried about them, I just enjoyed where I was at. Then the last 2 weeks happened & I became busier then I've been in a long time. Did I lose living in the moment? Did I create expectations about what will happen next?
No, what I discovered is that even in the busiest times you can can enjoy the moment you're in. It's not easy. You can get swept away with all the busyness. But with practice it is possible. I've really enjoyed the past couple of weeks & in addition to living in each moment, I enjoyed looking back at the end of the day & reflecting on the things I did & what I learned from the day. This is a daily practice we can all do & allowing yourself to stay open to the lessons of each day can move your life to new heights!!
Trust that even in the busiest times living in the current moment is the best way to be. Practice letting go of the list of things that are yet to come. Focus on where your at & what your doing & enjoy!! Life is about living & it unfolds in every moment of everyday...don't miss out. Enjoy your life today!!
Till Monday,
Hugs,
Bill
PS I'm still looking for more guest bloggers. I would love to help promote your blog. If you're interested email me at: timberwolf12345@gmail.com
Quote of the day: "Even when life becomes extremely busy you can slow down & enjoy the moment your in right now. By staying in the current moment you will discover more joy in your life."
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
My Journey
Joy was always out there- the key words being "out there." Interestingly as I was invited to post on Journey to Joy, I had a blog brewing on this topic. I was always sure that even in the storms, in the peril, and through the pain, joy awaited.
I look back and have found many times when I was able to find joy. As a young lad, I could always seem to find a bunch of it every Christmas morning. A trip to the mall to get my new school clothes would definitely fit the bill. A puppy. A new bike. Ice cream.
Joy was simple, abundant and obtainable. I didn't have to look far, travel much, or struggle to find those things that brought me joy. They seemed to simply manifest. Maybe that is why I did not spend much time looking for it. It appeared like the morning sun.
I have always been blessed growing up to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and loved ones surrounding me. However for some reason, once my life's odometer turned into double digits, the usual difficulties of teenagers set in. Daily struggles became as predictable as pimples on prom day and joy seemed to prove to be a bit more elusive.
"I don't have enough for the Jordache jeans, so I guess I have to wear Wranglers."
"Dude, can you spot me a few for gas money?"
"Why don't girls like guys who are in the chess club?"
Ah, yes - the big issues. It sure was rough being a teenager in America. Joy seemed to runs away as fast as we chased it. Broken hearts, scratched CD's, and parental dictators made the world a cruel and formidable opponent.
Fortunately the distance between here and joy was often narrowed with dances, football games, and handwritten notes passed in the hallways allowing us to forget the “doomsday” that was yesterday. Sometimes.
Adulthood - the point where we finally get to celebrate our liberation and make our own choices. We are now free to make our own decisions forgetting that the bad ones can be as useful to our growth as the good ones.
We go from being parented to parenting. I have often said: "Kids and golf - the most fun you can have being pissed off!" (I adore my kids)
We don’t have to ask for money anymore, yet now we have to earn it. This pungent ingredient in life's mix is often the machete that severs our tether to the security of our dock. This coveted item often causes some of the most joylessness in our lives. Whether it be abundance or abandon, money can paradoxically hide the path to joy like no other.
It is often the "things" we seek joy in that are often the things that contain the least amount of it. Titles, adoration, money, power, toys, and treasures are what many place as the true north on their compass in their journey to joy. This compass has a wavering polarity held in place by the magnetism of our soul.
I have found in my journey to joy, the further I searched, the further I ventured, the longer I traveled, the further I distanced myself from that which I sought. The more I cast my eyes down the road, the harder it was for me to see what was right in front of me.
The lighthouse we seek to lead us to joy must first have a beacon burning inside of us. We will then see the lights that shine, often illuminate the path to the same place. It illuminates the spaces closest to us.
It is in these familiar spaces we reconnect with our soul. Joy is not as much "out there", as it is inside of us awaiting release.
Once the beacon is lit, we then see bathing in that light, those around us who support and love us. The joy and wealth in life is found in our relationships and our ability to recognize them.
Joy is not found in a destination, but the path we tread upon and those we venture with.
In our journey to joy we should not resign ourselves to the exclusive appreciation for those people, and experiences around us currently, but to continue to open ourselves to the new experiences awaiting us. Both the pleasant and the punishing cultivate the people we become along our way.
Along your journey, find solace in the fact that in your preparation, you are going to encounter potholes and bumps. You will encounter things that test your emotional shock absorbers. However it is with gratitude and appreciation for those you journey with and encounter along the way that make your journey to joy a soul nourishing adventure.
Thanks for walking in my journey with me! Return here often for friends to accompany you in your journey as well. Godspeed...
Tony
After spending a quarter century in the beauty industry, Tony realized his passion had shifted from what was happening on the outside of people to what was occuring on the inside. Years of listening to other’s stories led him to seek a deeper spiritual understanding of how all things are connected. Tony’s own challenges and experiences give his writing a warmth and compassion, and are shared through the perspective of a “regular guy.”
Tony is an active blogger and a published author and his work can be found on:
http://artisanofthehumanspirit.blogspot.com/
and on his website:
http://www.tonyanders.com/
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Soccer & Life
With the end of the World Cup & with my youngest daughter in town for a soccer camp, I started to think about some of the similarities between life & soccer. I'm not going to go into great depth here but whenever something comes into my head the best way to get rid of it these days is to write about it.
To give you a little background. I coached my eldest daughter's team for 3 years & have continued to watch soccer off & on for most of my life. I don't claim to be any kind of expert but I least of a fair idea of the game.
1. Field Vision - To be a good soccer player you need to see the field well & anticipate what's going to happen next. In life being able to look beyond your current view & pay attention to the world around you, can open your mind to the messages God/universe is sending you. By opening your mind to those messages, you are able to anticipate & adapt your life as needed.
2. Team Play - In soccer it's possible to score a goal without any help but most of the play is dependent on assistance from the other player's. In life, finding the people who will assist you can be life changing. These people could be anyone that give anything from moral support to being a mentor at your job. We all can use a little assistance here & there. On the other side of the coin, we should always give assistance to others. It is in give that we truly open our heart to love & in giving we will always receive.
3. Fair Play - In soccer if you don't play fair, you get a yellow card & two yellow cards you're kicked out of the game. In life, if you don't play fair, you might have some short term gains & get the things you think you want in life but eventually karma will make you pay for taking advantage of others. Treat everyone in your life with love. Open your heart to the world & you will find joy!!
Some people believe that life is game & we have to pay it to win. I believe life is about the journey. Enjoy the ride by enjoying every moment of the journey.
Till tomorrow,
Bill
PS I am still looking for guest bloggers. If you'd like to be a guest blogger please contact me at Timberwolf12345@gmail.com
Quote of the day: "Soccer & life have many similarities, enjoy every moment of the game & your life will unfold before you."
Monday, July 12, 2010
Joy is more then just a word
I've written a lot in this blog about "Joy" & my journey to discover more of it in my daily life. As I began writing this blog, I started to observe my life more closely over the past year & one thing has become abundantly clear to me; to many Joy is just a word. It's something to shoot for. It's a dream, it's not really obtainable.
To me Joy is a part of my daily life. Does this mean everything goes perfectly? No not at. I have good days & bad days just like everyone else. I have doubts & concerns but I've learned that joy can be found even in the times that aren't perfect. Life is rarely perfect & if you search for perfection in your life you'll be disappointed. Every life has it's up's & down's even the best of them. The trick is to not get caught up in the down's & to enjoy the up's. I've learned to not dwell on things when they aren't going well. I've learned that by changing my focus, in difficult times, to what I can learn from this situation, generally smooths out the difficult situation & makes it better.
We have the ability to change everything in our life. All it takes is a change in focus. If we can look at life differently then how we're looking at it now....everything changes. The great thing about changing your focus is that you can do it over & over again & the world will change around you. You are the director of your life. Don't blame others for the life you have, it's all up to you.
Discover the joy in every moment. Create the life you want to see. Everything is possible, just believe in it.
Till tomorrow,
Bill
Quote of the day: "Joy is the way to live your life. Discover the joy in everything & live a more joyful life!"
PS I'm still looking for guest bloggers, if you'd like to write a guest blog contact me at timberwolf12345@gmail.com
Thursday, July 8, 2010
What's Important to you?
My friend Tony Anders wrote an interesting blog on "Who am I?" yesterday & it got me thinking about how we define ourselves. He had many interesting thoughts about how people define themselves but I also believe that people define themselves by what's important to them! So I started to explore this question in my mind & I thought I would share the 10 things that are the most important to me. I'm going to exclude the obvious: Wife, Kids & Family. I hope you like this list & I would love it if you'd leave me "What's important to you" below (in no particular order).
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
"Did Pooh ever use the word 'holistic'?"
I was delighted with the follow up inquiry about Pooh's possible use, or non-use of such a word as holistic, and thus, a blog was born. I am a firm believer that Pooh and all his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are much deeper than we see at first glance. Pooh was born out of inspiration from A.A. Milne's son, Christopher Robin's stuffed animal collection (yes, my friends, there really is a real Christopher Robin!) and grew into a worldwide, beloved storyline. I suspect that many Pooh-isms were also inspired by A.A. Milne's little boy, as they speak with childlike clarity and wisdom we often lose as we grow up.
So, back to this holistic Pooh business. Has anyone recently looked up some Pooh quotes? If you haven't, I strongly suggest you give it a whirl. Just type "Winnie the Pooh quotes" into your search engine and prepare to laugh, feel warm inside, maybe get choked up here and there.
....and....
"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday."*
"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to
watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."*
....and...
"Some people care too much; I think its called love."*Methinks that A.A. Milne was a crafty soul who possibly chose to slip very deep messages and thoughts into the world of Pooh, perhaps to touch young hearts in a positive manner and hope they would take those thoughts with them into adulthood. Fast forward to today and here I sit, typing away about Pooh and holistic health. Okay, no, Milne didn't write the word "holistic" in any of his works about Pooh, but as a child, Pooh captured my mind with his unique way of thinking, and clearly it stuck with me. I still think Pooh, if I could sit down and talk with him for a spell, would have very deep thoughts to share on holistic health! That's my take on it....
*all Winnie the Pooh quotes taken from http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/winnie-the-pooh-quotes.html
Here is the link to the original post: http://healingmorning.blogspot.com/2009/09/did-pooh-ever-use-word-holistic.html
And here is Dawn's writing bio:
Dawn is a Freelance Technical and Creative Writer and Social Media Management Consultant. She's worked as a professional writer for over 15 years, she ventured into the world of blogging in 2009. Healing Morning is a forum to give voice to her musings on a wide range of topics, with the common theme focusing on healing, spiritual and holistic concepts. A positive, uplifting and oftentimes humorous tone runs through her words, and she chooses to write about moments that capture her heart, cause her to ponder deeply, and encourage her to think differently as a result.
“Writing is how I make my living; it is how I help others both professionally and personally, and it is how I express myself in the most rich, vital manner. I consider myself blessed and fortunate to be able to touch the lives of others with my writing.”
If you enjoyed this post, you can find more at Healing Morning blog. Dawn is also a contributing writer to Writers Rising blog, at http://www.liveandinspire.com/ and http://www.vividlife.me/ website. She can be reached for writing and social media consulting services at http://www.sdawnsieverswritingservices.com/